Wayne Gretzky passed the torch on Sunday to Alex Ovechkin as top scorer of all NHL time. (Images Geoff Burke-Imagn)
(Imagn Images via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
Alex Ovechkin Sunday 895 of the career goal scoredbeat one of the great discs of all time and The legend of hockey that passes Wayne Gretzky As a scorer of all NHL times.
Ovechkin did it with a slap in front of the New York Icelanders goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin in a road match. The road on the road in New York did not matter. The crowd of the UBS Arena was there Sunday to attend history, and she broke out in noisy cheers for the goal that reduced New York’s advance on the Ovechkin Washington capitals to 2-1.
Ovechkin’s teammates assailed him on the ice while Gretzky, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Ovechkin’s family got up and applauded. A song of “ovi, ovi, ovi, ovi” extends over the arena of the UBS stands while Ovechkin continued to celebrate the moment on the ice.
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The game was then interrupted for a ceremony on the ice commemorating the capital realization and a speech by Gretzky passing the torch to Ovechkin as the biggest scorer in hockey. After a tribute on the video screen of the UBS Arena and an introduction by Bettman, Gretzky took the microphone.
“I can tell you first -hand, I know how difficult it is to reach 894; 895 is quite special,” Gretzky told Ovechkin. “My congratulations not only to Alex, his mother and his father, his family, his wife and his children.
“When I broke the record, my two children both had the age of his boys, so it reminds me a little for me. And I’m so happy that two of my boys are here tonight.
“But there is nothing better than the National Hockey League. They say that records are made to be broken, but I don’t know who will get more goals than that.”
After congratulating the NHL, Bettman and the league officials – the latter, attracted huties from the crowd of New York – Gretzky again turned to Ovechkin.
“Alex, I said that I would be the first guy to shake hands when you beat the disc,” said Gretzky.
Ovechkin and Gretzky then exchanged a handshake and a hug.
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Gretzky then joked with the owner of the capital, Ted Leonis, when he broke the record of Gordie Howe in 1994 as a member of the Kings of Los Angeles.
“Mr. Leonis, congratulations,” continued Gretzky. “And when I set the record, they bought me a Rolls Royce. You have the work cut.”
Then it was Ovechkin’s turn to speak.
“What day, huh? As I always said all the time, it’s a team sport. And without my boys, the whole organization, fans, coaches, coaches. I would never stay here, and I would obviously never pass the big one.
“Fellas, thank you very much. I love you so much.”
Ovechkin then joked with his Russian compatriot on which he scored the historic goal.
“Thank you, Ilya Sorokin for allowing me to mark 895. I love you brother.”
It made the crowd of Icelanders laugh.
“The last thing, all of you, of the whole world, of Russia,” continued Ovechkin. “We did it the boys, we did it! And the most important thing. For my mother, my family, my beautiful woman, my stepfather, my beautiful children, thank you. I love you very much. And without your support, I would never stay here. I love you guys.”
